Monday, June 22, 2015

I often desire a small group to study and learn with in my quest to grow in my faith. However, once I get to the point of determining who might be in the group with me, I come up short on what to study or where to start. Recently I came across this guide and was glad to have found the resource I needed to get my group started.

Christine Tate has written this guide with just my situation in mind. This book contains eight 1-hour bible study "sessions" that are non-denominational, making it perfect for nearly any group. Designed specifically for women, it encompasses plenty of time for talk and sharing along with learning. Each session contains an Ice Breaker, Lesson, Discussion Questions, Optional Weekly Personal Challenges and Closing Prayer. Each of these sections has a suggested time included to help the group leader guide the group while maintaining the one-hour time frame. A section for notes is included at the end of each lesson as well.

Lesson topics in this book include: Taking Care of Yourself. An Organized Life, People Pleasers, Always Be Prepared, Weight Management, Christian Relationships, Being a Virtuous Woman and Financial Health. Each lesson contains scripture, commentary, discussion prompts and activity suggestions to help bond the group and grow faith while also growing friendships.

It is intended that each group member have their own copy of this book. Some activities request that the books be passed around for Ice Breakers. This book has worked well for me in developing a consistent model for group meetings and has given us opportunity to develop a group dynamic in a non-confrontational or intimidating way. Believers from all degrees of faith and Bible experience can use this study with confidence and without fear of falling short.

In addition to this study, Tate has 10 other studies available in the Group Hug line for further group study. You can find a copy of this study or other titles by Tate here

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review through the BookCrash program.

I am so excited to have had the chance to try the newest game from ThinkFun - Compose Yourself

Whether you are musically inclined or not, this game offers entertainment for all. No musical skills are required! This game comes with a 60 clear music cards, each with 4 different music arrangements (depending on which way the card is flipped), a storage bag and instructions.

The card are high quality, sturdy and durable. Each card is different, and can be flipped and rotated to create a new musical arrangement. A corresponding number indicates which note combination is being viewed.

Game play is as simple as the contents of the box. The player simply chooses 4 (or a multiple of four, such as 8, 12, or 16) cards. After entering the web address and loading the site, a user profile is created by entering an email address and creating a password.

Once that is complete, the player enters the four digit code from the card into one of the spots on the website.

Once the code is entered, the image of the card in hand appears on the screen. After entering the code, the player has the option to listen to that card's musical arrangement by itself.

Once the four codes have been entered, the player can hear the entire arrangement put together. Players have the option of listening to the composition in Marimba, Orchestra, or both.

For players 6+, this game has tons of potential. With nearly limitless combinations, the compositions are as unique as the player, and provide hours of fun. Compositions can be edited, saved and shared, While this may not entertain adults as long, it is sure to be tons of fun for kids. My children and I played around with it for quite some time, and even though they are younger than 6 (5 and 3), with help from me, they had a lot of fun making their own songs.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

I've added another essential oil to my arsenal this week. This time, Lemon Oil from LaLune Naturals.

This is a 100% pure therapeutic grade lemon oil in a large 4 oz bottle that is sure to last quite a long time. It comes with a glass dropper with a rubber top. It also comes with a free eBook that contains 20 recipes for use with this oil. The scent is clean, fresh and pure - as it should be, and the oil is clear and contaminant free.

There are many uses for Lemon Essential Oil
- disinfectant and antiseptic cleaner for sanitizing surfaces
- clears unpleasant odor
- removing stubborn things like grease spots, gum, oil and sticker residue
Great for use in cleaners, diffusers, health and beauty products and other household applications, this oil has many possibilities and is a staple in the essential oil department.

I have put my lemon oil to use in a homemade cleaning solution of vinegar/water, used it to remove stickers in place of products like Goo Gone or the like, and even used in in my bathroom, diluted in water, for disinfecting. This stuff has so many uses and I am just learning the basics but am already in love with it!

Backed by a "No questions asked hassle free money back guarantee", it certainly eliminates the risk of trying it out. You can get a bottle for yourself here

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and un-biased review.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

With kids and pets, it seems there is always some spot or stain that needs to be cleaned on my carpet or furniture. This new product sure has come in handy.

Greenwald's Carpet & Fabric Stain Remover Kit is a convenient way to get multiple spray bottles worth of product at a fraction of the cost and with less waste. The product ships in a box that contains an empty spray bottle and a package with 6 water soluble packs that contain the concentrated cleaning solution.

These cleaning solution packs are quite small, very soft and flexible. To make the cleaner, one simply drops a packet into the bottle and fills the bottle with water. I love that the concentrate is so small and easy to store, not large re-fill bottles to hang onto or wasted containers when the cleaner is gone.

Once the packet touches the water, it begins to break down. After a minute has passed, the user simply needs to shake the bottle (with sprayer attached) and the cleaner is ready to use.

I got a chance (unfortunately) to put this cleaner to work pretty quickly. A bowl of cereal complete with milk spilled all over my newly upholstered dining chairs. I simply sprayed this lightly citrus scented cleaner on the fabric, after blotting up as much as I could of the spill, and walked away. When I returned a while later, the cleaner had dried, there was no indication of a spill on the chair (no water marks or other spots) and no smell either.

I have no doubt this cleaner will get plenty of use at our house in the coming days, and love that when I run out I can easily make more.

This cleaner has two options for mixing to address cleaning needs. With one packet dissolved in the bottle, it is prepared to handle fabrics. Two packets dissolved make it carpet ready. My one complaint is that it isn't really dual use in this capacity. No doubt it will still work on carpet in the lighter concentration, however, I cannot speak to comparing the two strengths as I only have one bottle with which to mix and dispense them at this time.

If I could change one thing: I would re-word the directions. It starts out directing you to dissolve two packets and goes through instructions for doing so. Once that is complete then the directions address dissolving only one for fabrics. I would rather it have the two options (for fabrics or for carpets) in bold with the instructions for mixing them to follow. In this way, the user would more clearly understand what to mix for their needs.

These things aside, I like this cleaner so far, have no aversion to the scent, and intend to get months of use out of this single purchase, and am glad to have the option to do so!